


glad you came

by aurcras



Series: live by the sun, love by the moon [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Romance, Tea Shop Shenanigans, Zutara Week, Zutara Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25530112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurcras/pseuds/aurcras
Summary: nothing could have prepared even the fire lord for an encounter with an old flame.for zutara week 2020 day one; reunion
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: live by the sun, love by the moon [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849807
Comments: 3
Kudos: 84
Collections: Zutara Week 2020





	glad you came

**Author's Note:**

> hello and happy zutara week everyone! this is the first time i'll be participating in it, and i'm so excited to contribute to such a beautiful event with loads of history. hopefully i'll be able to upload all these prompts in time, but do enjoy this! praying that i get their characterisations right heh.

Being Fire Lord meant that he had been subject to several experiences no ordinary citizen would ever experience in their lifetime. From trying to rebuild an entire nation to overseeing various peace projects, sitting through endless meetings with ambassadors and councilors, and getting through several stacks of paper that never seemed to diminish, it wasn’t a job for the faint-hearted. 

But while he’d experienced plenty during his relatively short life so far, nothing could have prepared him for this. 

Even the Fire Lord was out of his depths when it came to awkward social encounters such as these.

“ _Lee!_ ”

Never before had he wanted the ground to swallow him up whole as he heard that name being called from behind him, Zuko almost dropping his tray. If it hadn’t been for his quick reflexes ingrained in him from young, he would’ve had to deal with angry customers, broken clay, and dangerous spills, something he’d rather not endure during such a busy time. 

There were far too many customers inside the tea shop for him to make a mistake, especially when most of them had arrived after hearing the Fire Lord himself would be serving their tea. No matter how many times he’d come over to visit over the past few years to help his Uncle out during his rare breaks outside the country, the fascination and spectacle that was the Fire Lord serving tea never seemed to extinguish. In fact, he’d dare say that the crowds grew even bigger after each visit.

Though this time, he figured there was a reason why that would be. Especially when he wasn’t the only public figure serving tea today. 

Zuko spun around in surprise at the call of his old name, placing the tray down onto a table as he almost recognised the voice. That was, until his eyes landed on a quickly approaching figure. Her hair was short, chopped till her shoulders, and the dress she was sporting was a richer shade of dark green. To anyone else, she would’ve looked like another Earth Kingdom customer, but Zuko recognised those dark olive green eyes of hers.

“Jin?” He uttered, flabbergasted by her sudden appearance. 

It had been almost five years since he’d last seen her, after the fall of Ba Sing Se where he’d regrettably chosen the wrong side. He hadn’t heard from her since, and he felt quite guilty that he hadn’t spared her a single thought since then, but it was nice to see her again. She was one of the nicest people he’d met during his stay in the Earth Kingdom, and that night he’d spent with her had opened his eyes to a few things. 

“That’s me,” she answered, a smile on her face as she looked him over.

He fidgeted under her gaze, almost too afraid to look at her when he remembered what he’d told her. Now that he didn’t need to live under a false name anymore, he felt guilty for lying to her. 

“It’s uh, it’s good to see you,” he managed to speak out after much hesitation. He hadn’t gotten a good look at her before, but now that he had, it seemed like the past years had been treating her well, especially if that slight curve to her stomach was to say anything. 

Her smile seemed to grow wider at his response, “You too, Lee.” Her eyes held a strange glint to them, almost as though she knew something, and it was then he realised that she was fully aware of who exactly he was.

Before he could say anything further, he was approached from the side by a curious waterbender, a slight tug to his sleeve bringing his attention elsewhere. Zuko blinked, panic instantly settling in when he noticed her as he felt his heart rate begin to pick up speed. 

“Someone you know?” Katara asked, Zuko congratulating himself inwardly as he restrained himself from jumping at the question. He knew it would’ve come up eventually, especially with the way Jin had singled him out, but Katara was the last person he’d wanted Jin to ever meet. Not when she was— 

He shook his head when he felt his cheeks begin to warm, but this was a decidedly wrong move for him to make as Jin looked at him in confusion. “We met a long time ago,” Jin spoke, Zuko’s eyes widening.

His gaze immediately flickered to Katara, who was looking between the both of them curiously. _Great_ , how was he supposed to explain to her that this was a girl he previously dated? If it were anyone else it would’ve been fine, but this was  _ Katara _ he was talking about. And besides, did he and Jin even qualify as having dated before? They had technically only gone on one date, a date which ended with him storming off after having kissed her. After that, they’d never spoken again until she saw him with Mai, and he almost got stabbed by her attempt to throw a knife. 

Remembering it now, their history was too embarrassing for him to even begin sharing with Katara. But from the rate this conversation was going, it was as though he had no choice. 

“Yeah, we uh, did,” Zuko finally spoke after he realised both girls were waiting for his response.

Katara raised a brow, probably curious about his hesitation, but he was more focused on what Jin was going to say. It didn’t seem like she’d gotten the hint about anything, and he had no clue as to how to steer this conversation elsewhere. 

“How did you two meet?”

Zuko winced, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Where was Uncle when you needed him? 

He opened his mouth a few times before closing it, trying to come up with an appropriate answer. But before he could properly speak, Jin beat him to it. “We went on a date once. Isn’t that right, Lee?”

The firebender’s eyes widened significantly, so wide that it was almost comical to see him sporting such a horrified expression. He slowly twisted his head to peer at Katara’s reaction, almost afraid to look, but the contemplative expression she was sporting had his stomach dropping to considerable levels. Perhaps it was better than a look of irritation, or anger, or maybe even jealousy (if he dared hope), but for her expression to be merely pensive, he didn’t know how to react.

His cheeks were already burning, probably even hotter than the flames he could conjure, and he was sure that the unblemished side of his face was also painted a bright red. Katara still hadn’t said anything, and the longer she remained quiet, the more he wanted to storm out of the place and find a place to quell his combined mortification and embarrassment. 

At Jin’s questioning gaze, he had no choice but to reply, “Y-Yeah, that’s right.”

He swallowed thickly, racking his brain for another topic to steer them away. “So uh, how are—“

“He also told me he was part of a circus.”

Jin was talking solely to Katara this time, and it was to his horror that he found his terrible cover story being dredged up again. Her voice was slightly teasing at the admission, so he assumed that perhaps he wasn’t too angry with him after she’d learned of the truth, but this was still an embarrassing detail. If Toph or Sokka ever caught wind of it, he would never live it down. 

But this was what managed to break Katara out of her contemplative look as her lips curved into an amused smirk. “Oh? A circus?" She glanced at him curiously. "What was he like?”

Oh no.  _ No no no no no. _

_ “ _ He said he was a juggler—“

He opened his mouth in protest. “No, I didn’t!”

But both of them ignored his complaints. 

“—but when I asked him to juggle for me, all the bottles fell on his head. He couldn’t even catch one,” Jin giggled as Zuko reached up to pinch his nose bridge. This was utterly  _ humiliating _ .

Katara snorted, “He couldn’t even catch one?”

Jin nodded, “Apparently he was out of practice.” Her tone was conspiratorial, as though sharing a dirty secret, and he could see Katara’s eyes gleaming in mirth at the revelation.

She turned to him, looking at him accusatorially. “Juggling? Why didn’t you tell me you could juggle?”

He frowned, the heat in his cheeks still yet to go away. “Katara, I- I can’t juggle.”

“But Jin said you could. Isn’t that right, Jin?”

Jin nodded enthusiastically, and it was only at this point that he realised that he was now at the mercy of two amused girls sporting annoying large, teasing grins. He actually would have rather dealt with some stuck up Fire Nation nobility at this point if it meant he could still walk away with some of his dignity left intact.

“You should’ve seen when the bottle cracked and covered him in sauce. It was hilarious,” she giggled, the traitorous waterbender also giggling at the thought.

“I’d  _ love _ to see that.”

This was his cue to step in as he shook his head vehemently. “No!” He spoke a little too loudly, a number of customers quieting to look at him.

He cleared his throat, ears burning in embarrassment as he shook his head again. “No, you don’t have to see that, Katara.”

His tone held a bit of warning, but since when did that matter to her anyway? So he made a point of ignoring her ill-timed pout, trying to focus on burying this conversation before he made an even larger embarrassment of himself. This was the last thing he’d expected working at the tea shop for a day, and this type of embarrassment was bound to last him a lifetime. 

“That’s too bad,” Katara replied, tone almost wistful. But he steeled himself not to read too much into it. He was  _ not _ going to juggle today. He would make sure of it. 

Jin hummed, “Maybe one day he’ll try juggling for you.”

His head whipped in her direction, a little curious but he made no move to further comment. Instead, he answered, “A-Anyway Jin, it was nice seeing you again. I hope life has been treating you well.”

At this, he watched as she placed a hand over her protruding belly, smiling warmly at them both. “It has, thank you Lee,” her eyes gleamed, “Or should I say,  _ Fire Lord _ ?”

He coughed awkwardly, cheeks pinking at the title. “That won’t be necessary.”

She smiled anyway, before turning to Katara. “I hope he’s been treating you well. I’m glad he finally found someone,” her smile was genuine, and for the nth time that day, his eyes almost bugged out of his head in shock.

His cheeks flamed red, and he was glad he wasn’t the only one who was mortified by the implication as Katara also seemed to sport a matching, bright red blush. “We uh— We’re not—“

Jin didn’t listen to their complaints, shaking her head. 

“But a word of advice, I hope you haven’t given her any coupons. It’s a big mood killer,” she teased, Zuko pinching the collar of his tunic to relieve himself of the heat. _That_ was also another memory he didn’t want to remember, almost cringing when he thought back to his younger self doing something so  _ awkward _ . 

Jin soon waved the both of them off after hearing her partner call for her, leaving the two still blushing master benders in her wake. They had yet to look at each other, Zuko far too embarrassed to say anything as he only hoped Katara would step up. 

Fortunately, she soon did when he felt Katara lightly tug his sleeve, the firebender snapping out of his thoughts to look at her. Her cheeks were still painted a rosy pink, and she almost looked shy, but her lips were curved into a teasing smile. 

“So, a juggler huh?”

At this, he groaned softly. “Not this again.”

She grinned, poking him in the arm. “What? Can’t a girl be curious? She brought up some pretty interesting memories for you, and when you hear that the Fire Lord was a circus juggler, it’s obvious I have to witness this.”

“For the last time, I can’t juggle!” He huffed, ignoring the stares he’d gotten again as Katara only basked in his embarrassment. 

She smiled to herself before shaking her head, lifting both palms. “Okay okay, I surrender. You can’t juggle, I won’t ask about it again.”

He nodded, grateful for the small reprieve as he scratched the back of his neck. Now what? 

“What did Jin mean about the coupon?”

Oh  _ that _ , apparently. 

He fidgeted with his fingers, uncomfortable about holding the conversation out here with everyone still watching them. This wasn’t a conversation he’d like to have with so many people around, nor was it one he wanted to have at all. Katara seemed to sense his discomfort as he soon felt her fingers wrap around his wrist, the male blinking in surprise. She didn’t say anything, instead leading him to the back of the store as he caught his Uncle’s eye. But his Uncle wasn’t paying attention to him, seemingly conversing with Katara before he glanced at him, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

He frowned a little, confused as to what was going on until Katara finally stopped, both of them standing at the back of the store and away from curious eyes. “Katara? Why are we back here?”

“What did Jin mean about the coupon?” She repeated, looking at him earnestly.

He pinched the end of his sleeves. “Well uh, we were having a moment.”

Katara nodded, waiting for him to continue. He bit his lip. “And then uh, she was about to kiss me but I stopped her with a coupon for free tea here. It was Uncle’s idea, seeing as though she was a loyal customer, and she accepted it.”

She didn’t say anything immediately after that, tapping her chin thoughtfully. The embarrassment he had been feeling was immediately replaced with nervousness and a strong sense of foreboding. He didn’t know where this conversation was going, and he was unsure as to whether or not he liked it. 

“…did you?”

Her voice was so soft that he almost didn’t catch it, blinking in confusion. “What was it?”

“The kiss— Did you end up kissing her?”

Depending on his answer, it felt as though he were choosing between life and death. And frankly, he had no clue as to how to navigate this conversation. Should he lie? But why should he? Katara valued honesty, and he never could lie to her. But he didn’t exactly want to tell her the truth in this situation. Not really. 

He nodded his head slowly, trying to gauge her reaction. “I did but I—“

Katara raised a brow. “But you what?”

“Well, I stormed away after because I knew we couldn’t happen,” he admitted, his gaze lowering. It was true. At that time, the last thing he needed was a girlfriend when he was still trying to figure out what it was he’d wanted. And even now, as he thought about it, he didn’t think he could have truly made her happy anyway. Jin was great and all, but the spark hadn’t been there. At least, not in the way it was with someone else. 

Katara hadn’t been expecting that as she eyed him in surprise, but he didn’t want to see her reaction. Instead, he fixated his gaze on her feet, where he saw her curiously take a step forward. 

“I hope you don’t do that with me.”

His head whipped up in shock, confusion ringing in his ears as he blinked at her. Did she just— Did this mean—

But he couldn’t find the words to properly voice his questions, not in a coherent way at least, and so he stood there gaping at her. Katara didn’t say anything more, her gaze focused on his eyes before they lowered one feature at a time. From his eyes to the length of his nose, and finally to his lips.

He couldn’t help but lick his lips, and he watched as her breath hitched. Zuko didn’t know what possessed him to do it, but suddenly he couldn’t take it anymore and so he took that step forward, reaching out to cup her face.

His eyes fluttered closed, and as he leaned down, she quickly met him halfway, her lips connecting with his. He didn’t realise he’d been holding his breath until he finally had his lips on hers, and he could feel his whole body tingling at the contact, the ringing of  _ finally, finally, f i n a l l y, _ pulsating in his ears. 

He had been waiting for this for so long, from the moment he’d realised he was attracted to her all those years ago when they were out on the beach just a few days before the comet, having a small heart to heart conversation and his heart thrummed with a little bit of something. That something steadily grew, from willingly risking it all as he threw himself in front of that lightning bolt for her, from the many conversations they shared after that, either through their frequent letters or when she came to be the official Southern Water Tribe Ambassador in the Fire Nation. He’d been wanting this for so long that he didn’t care their first kiss took place in the back of his Uncle’s tea shop, didn’t care that they were both wearing Earth Kingdom clothes, working as tea servers for the day, and he’d experienced quite an embarrassing encounter with an old flame. 

All that mattered was that this was it, the time was right, they  _ could _ happen, and  _ she _ was the only one who could bring those sparks he didn’t think were even possible to experience. 

They were deeply panting by the time they parted ways, her cheeks flushed as they both took large lungfuls of air to keep breathing again. He felt lighter like he could be floating, and his cheeks were still on fire, but it was all worth it. Katara flashed him a shy smile, one he returned wholeheartedly as he reached forward to bring her into his arms.

She relaxed against him, his arms tightening around her waist while she listened to the erratic pace of his heartbeat. That was what she’d done to him. 

“You didn’t run away.”

He looked down at her, meeting her gaze. 

Zuko smiled. “I have no need to.”


End file.
